Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), Cairo Egypt




November 8, 2025

Grand Egyptia Museum opened in Cairo November 4, 2025. Overseas Adventure Tours/OAT worked hard to arrange tickets for our group because an unexpected number of Egyptians that are visiting made tickets hard to secure.  The original museum was closed 2002. The $1 billion megaproject has been promoted as the world's largest museum dedicated to a single civilization, with nearly 50,000 artifacts.

Beautiful exterior walkway Saturday November 8th 

We got very lucky with our arrival time, that's John! No line at 11:30am






Definitely excited that it's uncrowded and that there aren't  the 30K visitors that were here  yesterday 


folks congregated in only a couple spots

After entry, you ascend the grand staircase, or for us, the grand escalator 

The Grand Staircase at the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is 6500 square meters in area and stands six stories tall, or approximately 50 meters high. It is a key vertical pathway and transitional gallery that connects the museum's atrium to the upper terrace and is lined with over 60 large statues and artifacts arranged in chronological theme. Yep, I cribbed the last 2 sentences. It's a unforgettable  start.





Top of the staircase deposits you to this grand view: Giza Pyramids. 

Giza Pyramids seen from top of grand staircase GEM 

Not to worry, not only the usual shops and restaurants  but also an easy to find clinic 
Big enough to support a clinic 

The biggest crowds gathered around all the gold from King Tut's tomb. Our guide explained he was a short-lived minor ruler who died at age 19 and therefore hadn't built a massive monument. Instead, he was put into his Vizier's tomb. Therefore, his treasures avoided tomb robbers. There were 4 boxes/sarcophaguses of gold gilded, nested like Russian dolls to hold his coffin which is solid gold. 

First massive sarcophagus to give you scale
Outermost sarcophagus 

Close up King Tut's outermost sarcophagus 
Close up of outer sarcophagus King Tut 



an inner gold gilded sarcophagus 




His mummy remains in his tomb in the Valley of Kings. See my post for a photo https://www.grayhairedglobetrotter.com/2025/11/luxor-egypt-karnak-temple-and-valley-of.html. This was the most crowded destination in the museum and it was still easy to navigate to the glass for photos.

Adjacent to the main Grand Egyptian Museum building and the highlight for me was the interior of the building  housing King Khufu's boats. In 1954, while clearing the sand and debris that had accumulated opposite King Khufu's pyramid, two sealed pits were discovered containing the dismantled wood of his boats for the afterlife. This 2,500 year old, 139 foot long  boat took 10 years to reassemble. The other boat is being assembled adjacent and museum patrons can observe the process.




Inviting seating keeping with water theme was comfortable


Lighting enhancement with reedy, water-looking waves
Lighting enhancement with reedy, water-looking waves

The Solar Boathouse's unique architecture  is a captivating experience.  It was a peaceful space to marvel at ancient Egyptian accomplishments. 



Phenomenal collection, enriched with the knowledge of our OAT guide. 




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